Chapter 1: The Tie That Binds
Lyra sat alone up in her room with her head in her knees. Tears were spilling from her green eyes. Her laughter floated up the stairs followed by her telling him to stop. Lyra felt hot bile rising in her throat. Hours ago he'd gotten off of work, but neglected to tell her and now he was down stairs, fucking around with one of his whores He may have not had sex with this girl, but they came pretty close to it. He waited on her hand and foot and treated her like a princess. The door suddenly flew open, slamming loudly into the wall behind it. Charlie was staring down at her tear soaked face.
"Shut the hell up. Clean up, get dressed and meet me down stairs in ten minutes!" Charlie said, throwing her a pair of clothes. He slammed the door and she looked at the clothes on the bed. She scoffed in disgust at the sight. They were a pair of pink sweat pants, a blue tank top over a white shirt and pink sweat jacket. No way in hell was she wearing this outfit in ninety degree weather. She stood from her bed, the floor creaking and walked over to her open closet. She pulled out her denim mini skirt with the pink butterfly belt and a baby blue halter top. She slipped her white high heeled flip-flops onto her feet. The door crashed open again and Charlie looked at her with a deadly glare. He grabbed her roughly by the back of her neck and spun her to look into his blue eyes.
"What the fuck do you think your doing?" he spat as he ripped the clothes out of her hand. He threw them to the side and his flung her onto the bed. "So you want to be sexy huh? Want all the guys to love you! I'll give you something to show off!" he slammed her fist into her eye. Then he grabbed her off the bed, ripped off her pajamas and dressed her in the outfit he'd picked out. Lyra's legs gave out as he dragged her downstairs. He grabbed her and picked up bridal style.
"Please Charlie! Its too hot outside for this outfit. You know I overheat easily. Please just let me stay here!" Lyra begged. Charlie laughed in her face and threw her into Chase's awaiting arms.
"You are in no shape to ask me any favors Lyra. You messed up big this time, trying to dress like some damned slut. Your lucky all you got was that black eye. You ever defy me again or even think of leaving and I'll fucking kill you!" Charlie hissed in her face, the smell of alcohol stinging her eyes and nose.
Lyra smiled as Evelyn piled more mashed potatoes onto her plate followed by some gravy. Evelyn smiled at Lyra and patted her head gently. She looked at Angel who just kept staring at Lyra.
"Lyra, I just gotta know you escaped from that asshole!" Angel said finally. Lyra sat her fork on her plate and swallowed her food very hardly. It was like her throat was closing up on her. She looked at Angel and the rest of his family.
"I kind of beat the shit out of him and his stupid friend. Even that slut got some. Chase and Anias were still trying to recover from the hits and I started on Charlie. I made Charlie think I ran, so he told them to go get me and I knocked him out. Then, I just ran as fast as I could." Lyra answered truthfully. Angel looked at her in amazement and Jack gave a slight smile.
"You go girl! It's never right to be someone up, but I'm proud that you stood your ground Lyra!" Evelyn told the young girl. Lyra smiled and looked down the table at her new family. Tomorrow, they'd be talking to a detective named, Green, about Charlie. Then, they'd sign adoption papers and change Lyra's first and last name for protection reasons.
Lyra was walking through the Mercer home, looking at all the pictures hung there on the walls. She stopped suddenly at the picture of young women who looked much like herself. She was holding a baby in her arms and standing by a man who looked like Lyra's father. Evelyn stopped beside her, looking from the young girl to the photograph.
"Lyra, what's the matter honey?" Evelyn asked, placing a hand on her shoulder gently. Lyra turned and looked at Evelyn and then back at the picture once again.
"Evelyn, where'd you get this picture? That women and that man, those are my parents!" Lyra exclaimed in awe. Evelyn let out a gasp and took Lyra into her arms. She cried silently, god had led this child into her house for a reason.
"Oh dear, that's why you reminded so much of Mariah! You look just like her." Evelyn said. She led Lyra into her room and over to the guest bed. Lyra looked questionably at Evelyn as she told her about her mother and how they were best friends. Mariah moved away to marry Lyra's father, but after much abuse from him. She took a one year old Lyra and fled back to Detroit. Evelyn had adopted Bobby already and was looking into adopting another two boys. She welcomed Mariah and Lyra with open arms. But just as Lyra was turning three, cops showed up insisting that Mariah had kidnapped her own child. Lyra was taken from her mother and fathers custody as the cops' investigated Mariah's abuse claims and Richard's kidnap charges. Lyra was placed in her grandparents' custody. Mariah had fallen ill just before Lyra's fifth birthday. Mariah's mother and father brought a now five year old Lyra to see her mother who died a couple days after seeing her daughter. Now Lyra's father, banned from seeing her, was bent on getting his daughter back. After Lyra's grandparents realized they were no longer able to take care of a little girl. They started looking into having her adopted. Evelyn was set to take on Lyra on top of her four sons. But fate stepped in and Lyra was snatched from her bedroom at her grandparents' house just days before any paperwork was complete. Lyra looked at Evelyn with tears in her eyes and the older women brought her into a hug.
"Lyra, I promised your mother that I'd protect you no matter what. I failed the first time but I swear to the good lord above my head. No one will EVER hurt you again!" Evelyn promised the young girl. Lyra lay down in her bed and Evelyn covered her up tightly. Evelyn sat by Lyra's side, humming softly and playing with her curly brown hair. Lyra finally felt safe and knew that as long as she had the Mercer's she'd always be safe. She let her tired eyes close and soon slipped into dream world, Evelyn's humming sounding like beautiful music coming from an angel.
Richard Hampton and Charlie
Charlie was livid and Richard was just fuming. They learnt that Lyra had indeed made it all the way to Detroit. Richard spun angrily towards Charlie, grabbing the eighteen year old boy by the back of his neck.
"She wasn't good enough for you was she boy? Had to knock her around and cheat on her every god given chance you had huh? Had to knock her up too didn't you? There are people in Detroit. An old lady with four sons, she was going to adopt Lyra before I took her away from her grandparents. She was best friends with Mariah! If she sees her, she's going to get the cops on us and finalize the adoption!" Richard spat lividly. Charlie ripped Richard's hands from his neck.
"With all due respect sir, I want your daughter back just as badly! I will not stop at anything to get her back!" Charlie said, almost bowing down to Richard. Richard pushed Charlie away from him in disgust.
"I am trusting you on this Mr. Thomas. Get my daughter back here or it will be the last thing you ever do!" Richard hissed. Charlie threw him a nasty glare as he followed Chase out the door. They got into the car and immediately began to plan a way to get Lyra back.
"You honestly think we will pull this off Charlie? I know things about the Mercer family. They are the last people you want to mess with!" Chase asked. Charlie turned so suddenly that even Chase was a little freaked out.
"Let them try and stop me Chase. Let them. I'm going to get Lyra back. She's worth too much to just wonder the streets. Those Mercer's don't deserve her. We will get her back!" Charlie roared as he started the car.
Mercer Home
Lyra sat up from another nightmare. When would they end? All she wanted was to feel safe and loved. And that was the last thing that Charlie or her father ever offered her. She though about her mom. Her beautiful mom. Evelyn had been best friends with her. She told Lyra that Mariah had been married before Lyra was born. She'd given birth to a boy, Eric. Evelyn promised that once everything had blown over, she'd take her to find her older brother. Lyra smiled at the thought of having a brother to protect her and love her. The smile grew wider thinking about Evelyn adopting her and the boys taking her on as a sister. Bobby, the hothead who underneath a tough guy exterior, was a big old softy. Angel was almost the same, but Lyra could see through both their masks. Jerry was a true family man and made her feel more at home than she'd ever felt anywhere. And Jack, oh boy Jack. Lyra realized with a creeping blush to her cheeks, that she had a small crush on Jack. Who wouldn't, he tried so hard to act tough that it was cute and he was one of those few guys who understood how girls feel. And how different they are from guys, how differently they react and handle things that happened to them. Yep, this looked like the beginning of a beautiful friendship/family. But little did she know that the tie that binds was stronger than anything in this world and just shortly, he whole world would crumble down upon her.
Sorry for the long wait guys. Please read and review. I want to continue this story regardless, but I'd like some feed back on what I could change or do next. So please, R&R. It may take me a while to update again, but don't get on me, yell at my boyfriend. Ever since he got his Diablo game, he NEVER gives me the computer anymore. So, if not by Wednesday, expect an update this weekend. Thanks guy! Lots of love!
Bella Jayde
